Overview

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Catharism was the most radical of medieval heresies. Since ittouched most areas of Europe in some degree, research on itscharacter and fortunes makes formidable demands on the learning andlinguistic ability of any scholar who tackles it, not to mentiondemands also on his judgement. Malcolm Lambert, well known for hislucid and authoritative writings on medieval heresy, is a match forthis challenging task. His new book, The Cathars, is to bewelcomed as the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of thesubject now available in English." Alexander Murray, UniversityCollege, London

"Lambert's command of the literature and hisability to integrate it into a coherent narrative are unmatched.His book deserves to become the standard account of medievalCatharism." Medieval Review

"This is the first comprehensive study in English of the mostmysterious and radical of medieval heresies. Malcolm Lambert ...'combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative.'" TDBook Survey

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Meet the Author

Malcolm Lambert was Reader in Medieval History at the University of Bristol until 1991 when he retired to devote himself to writing and research. His previous books are Franciscan Poverty (1961, reissued 1998) and Medieval Heresy (2nd edition, 1992).

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Customer Reviews

Mac_in_the_Ariege

Posted May 23, 2010

Sadly, the authors own religious beliefs have skewed his writing. At one point, he seems to believe that the Inquisition, on the whole, was a good thing.

He has a problem with women being taught to read and write: to have the bible translated into the vernacular; and that there's nothing wrong in torturing people to get at the truth. Not acceptable as evidence in modern courts (UK).
His research talks of the "fortress" of Monts&#233;gur. The current castle was built post the seige. It was a fortified mountain village, as many others in this semi-lawless border country.
Ditto "no cultivable land close by". Even the few current farmers in the area would disagree. It's on a Puy, surrounded on three sides by cultivable land.
48 notepages in 300 pages, and some with more than one comment.
Another interesting Catholic justification of the Crusade against the Cathars. Why the Cathars? Out of all the Albigensian movement which stretched from Bulgaria through Northern Europe, down through France into Spain & Portugal. Because the people were educated (could read), where often even the priests were illiterate; the perfect had no need for money or fancy cloathes, whereas the Church of Rome set/sets great store by it's fancy clothes. If all the stones in all the cardinal's rings who attended the recent Pope's coronation were sold, World Poverty could be eradicated.
By the by. Catharism didn't die with the fall of Monts&#233;gur. It still lives on quietly here in the shadows.

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